


Someone to Care, Someone to Know

by hannahetesta



Category: A Curse So Dark and Lonely
Genre: F/M, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Tried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2019-09-19 23:34:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahetesta/pseuds/hannahetesta
Summary: This is silly but I have a lot of feelings for Grey and his story. So I wrote this. Oops.





	1. Part I - Grey

**Author's Note:**

> So I once again wrote fanfiction this year. I'm on a roll.
> 
> I read A Curse So Dark and Lonely and fell in love with Grey. This book isn't released (at the time of writing this story), but definitely check it out. It's a great retelling of Beauty and the Beast and it also features a heroine with cerebral palsy, which is really great. 
> 
> Grey belongs to Brigid Kemmerer. I'd like to say thank you for creating such a wonderful character.

Grey hadn't been expecting snow. There were a good few inches on the ground, the sky a soft shade of mauve as snowflakes continued to float on the cold night air. Plows had already been by, turning the clean white snow on the streets a dour shade of brownish-gray.

How fitting.

"I've never seen it this empty before," Holly said quietly. She had her earmuffs on, ridiculous things that were black and white and had the face of a bear on each muff. She had once told him they were of the species "panda" and had insisted they were what she called cute; he couldn't fathom what was endearing about creatures keeping extremities warm, especially ones with unblinking stares. He glanced at them now, the way the white stood out against her dark hair. There was an ache in his chest, one he couldn't place.

"Home's this way..." Holly began to walk north, making imprints in the freshly fallen snow with each step. "Marie will be wondering where I've been."

"Will you tell her the truth?"

Her jaw tightened. "I haven't thought that far ahead yet," she said, keeping her eyes forward. Grey kept by her side, unwilling to push her further to talk.

He was allowing himself enough time to deliver her safely home, and then he knew he was needed back in Emberfall. He couldn't leave Rhen alone, not when he wasn't in control of the destruction he caused at the end of every season. It wouldn't be more than fifteen minutes, ten if he was quick. It might even go faster if Holly wasn't insisting on being so distant.

Grey found himself studying her again. Snowflakes had collected on the top of her head, sparkling whenever they passed under a streetlamp. Her breath curled away from her and disappeared with every exhale, her cheeks a rosy pink. He had a feeling her skin would be soft if he trailed his fingers along the freckles that surrounded her eyes -

He balled his hand into a fist, trying to refocus on his cold feet, on the way his toes hurt with every step. Now was not the time to be doing this. Whatever this was, it couldn't happen. It _wouldn't_ happen, he would make sure.

* * *

All of this was his fault. Rhen had given him a curious request at the beginning of this season. "Find me someone difficult," he'd said. "Someone I would normally overlook. Maybe I'm not trying hard enough."

"I don't believe that's the problem, my lord."

Rhen had sighed. "Just do it, Grey. That's an order."

And so Grey had obeyed, as he always did. He had come back with a girl who he knew Rhen would have trouble getting along with, much less fall in love with. He had come back with Holly Macklin.

Holly was seventeen and she worked in a small toy store nestled between a hair salon and an antique shop. Her face was framed by thin wire glasses, her wavy hair drawn back in a ponytail. She had been oddly willing to come with him, almost suspiciously so.

"It's not every day you get to go on an adventure like this," she'd said when asked.

"Do you think I mean to kill you?" Grey had pressed.

"I don't know. Maybe. But it wouldn't matter." She had shrugged. "No one will miss me if I'm gone for a little while."

The first week she was in the castle had been ghostly silent. She refused to leave her room, a book in her hand every time food was brought up to her.

"Perhaps she thinks we'll forget about her," Rhen had told him. "Does she honestly not understand what's at stake?"

"Give her time to adjust, my lord. She'll come around."

The next week, she had sat quietly at dinner, only giving very sparse answers to Rhen's questions. Grey could see the young prince was getting frustrated, and if he was honest, it was a bit amusing. Holly didn't mean to be so infuriating...at least, he didn't think that was her intention.

"Can I ask you something?" He was walking her to her room one night when she stopped in the middle of the stairs.

"Yes, my lady."

She wrinkled her nose. "That's...so weird. I'm not a lady."

"You are, as long as you stay here."

"But I'm not...I think I made a mistake. Prince Rhen is so..." She was tugging at the end of her hair. "I don't think I can do what he needs me to do. I'm not...I'm not cut out for this."

"Do you mean to tell me the prince is not to your liking?"

"I think it's the other way around." She glanced down at her shoes, her voice growing quiet. "I can see the way he looks at me. I'm not what he's used to, right?"

Grey hadn't answered, but that had been enough. He had heard her start to cry as he closed the door.

She wouldn't come out for three days.

"Commander, you've really outdone yourself," Rhen had said. Grey wasn't sure if Rhen had meant that in a good way or not.

* * *

 

Holly spent most of her time in the library, or out in the rose garden, always with the same book. She refused to speak to Rhen, but she was a little less reluctant around Grey, so of course the task of winning her trust fell to him.

"What is it you find so fascinating about that book?" he had asked her. He took the seat beside her; he noticed the way she not so subtley moved away from him.

"My sister gave it to me. It's the only thing I brought from home." Her words were slightly muffled by the pages.

"What is it about?"

"A prince falling in love with a girl from my world."

"Sounds very appropriate."

"He's stuck in a book. He's a fictional character. That's the catch."

"If he's not real, how can he speak? How can he have feelings?"

She lowered the book into her lap. "I don't know, how can this place exist when most people I know don't believe in it? They probably think you're not real. But you know otherwise, right?"

"I suppose, but -"

"It's the same with the prince. He may be a book character, but his feelings aren't any less real. His love for the girl is definitely not fictional." She paused, glancing away. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"I'm usually not this talkative. And it's utter nonsense, on top of that." She snorted. "I'm sure you're thinking I'm a dork."

He assumed that wasn't a good thing, by her tone. "I assure you, my lady, I have never considered you a 'dork'. And neither has the prince."

She gave him a withering look. "I'm so sure." She went back to reading before he could answer.

The next day, he asked her if she could read out loud to him.

"If you want to read it, you can. I can always find something else."

"My lady, I would prefer if you read it."

She clutched the book to her chest, eyeing him warily. "I'm not very good at reading to people. I don't want you to laugh."

"I give you my word. I will not laugh."

She eventually complied, and true to his word, Grey didn't laugh at her. He did ask questions, and they would discuss and debate the actions of the girl and the prince, whether or not they were selfish or just two young people very much in love. After finishing, they began to pick out books from the library, Grey listening attentively as Holly became braver each time she read to him.

If they weren't reading, they would talk about anything that came to mind. She told him about her older sister Marie, about how they didn't have much, about how she sometimes felt she was a burden. He had confessed he'd felt similarly when he had applied to the royal guard; he had wanted to do something more for his family, something he knew would make a difference. He found himself wanting to teach her cards, or to hear her sing under her breath when she thought no one was listening, or to tell her how he loved the way she would use voices for the characters in the books she read. He always stopped himself, knowing it wasn't his place.

In the afternoons, they would go for walks on the castle grounds with Rhen. The prince had begun to be a little gentler in his approach, and Grey noted that Holly was not as hesitant to open up. They chatted about menial things while he followed behind, ever the dutiful guardsman. They were certainly friendlier to each other, but there was something slightly off about their relationship. Grey couldn't tell what it was, exactly, only that the more he watched Rhen make Holly laugh, the less relieved he felt. There was a tightening in his stomach he couldn't shake; he figured he must be coming down with something.

One night, the three of them were in the library, Holly reading a book of fairy tales out loud while they sipped tea. Rhen retired early, kissing the back of Holly's hand before leaving the room. Grey would have paid more attention to his churning stomach if he hadn't felt his own eyes begin to grow heavy. He woke up hours later, the fire in the hearth reduced to embers and Holly asleep in the chair across from him.

He took her in his arms and carried her up the stairs, fully aware Rhen should be doing this. She would be much more comfortable in her own bed, he reasoned, and decided not to feel too guilty about it. He planned to take her to her room and leave, but before he opened her door, she snuggled her head into his chest, groaning a little as she settled back to sleep. It made him pause, and he frowned down at her sleeping form, trying to rid himself of the goosebumps that had erupted on his arms.

Laying her in bed, he carefully placed her glasses on the nearby table and made sure the duvet was pulled up at least to her shoulders. He once again found himself looking at her, unable to leave. Her brow was smooth when she was asleep, not furrowed like it constantly was when she was reading or reacting to something. The moonlight spilling through the window made her skin look as smooth and white as porcelain, her hair spilling over the pillow in a black arc.

She shifted, blinking a few times. "Grey?"

"Go back to sleep, my lady."

She closed her eyes again. "Goodnight, Grey. Love you."

He froze, heart stopping for a moment. Her words were enough to get him to close the door and take off down the hall, mind racing with thoughts he'd been holding at bay for the past few weeks.

He sat in the corridor all night, watching the sky lighten gradually until it was a brilliant orange.

* * *

 

Grey minimized the time he spent alone with Holly. He busied himself with cleaning his weapons, or tending to the horses. If he was around her at all, it was in the presence of Rhen, and even then he wouldn't speak to her unless she addressed him first.

If she suspected anything, she didn't voice her concerns. She seemed to deflate whenever she saw him, and she began to avoid being alone with him, as well, until it was as if they were strangers passing each other in the corridors of Ironrose Castle. They spent the last weeks of the season this way, until Rhen noticed the change begin to take place.

"You must take her home," Rhen told him one afternoon. Grey noticed that the prince's ears were now those of a wolf.

"Will you be okay until then, my lord?"

"The change has been gradual. You will have a bit of time before it completely overtakes my senses."

"Do you wish to say goodbye?"

"I have already done so. She does not know about..." He gestured to his ears. "I wish to keep it that way."

Grey nodded. "As you wish."

"She's waiting in the courtyard." Rhen paused, swallowing. "She's a sweet girl, Grey."

He said nothing, turning to go.

"Keep her safe," Rhen said.

Grey didn't stop. "As you wish."

* * *

 

"Are you okay?" Her voice brought him out of his thoughts.

"I'm fine, my lady."

"We're not in Emberfall anymore, Grey. I'm just Holly here."

Just Holly. As if she were no more significant than a single flake of snow. "I have endured worse than this."

"You don't have to act brave all the time, you know. You can admit that you're cold."

He turned to look at her. "I believe I preferred when you were reading and not speaking so freely."

"So you think women should be seen and not heard? Is that it?"

"That's not what I said, my lady. It was in jest."

She giggled, and he felt his heart jump. "I know. I'm teasing you." She bit her lip, looking at his bare hands. "Your fingers will fall off."

"As I've said, I have endured worse conditions."

She sighed, stopping under a streetlamp. "Grey, you need to be honest with me."

He frowned. "I'm not cold, my lady."

"Not about that." She folded her arms. "You've been really off. You've been ignoring me, and it...it's been bothering me. Did I say something to you? Are you angry with me?"

_I'm angry at myself. I did the one thing I shouldn't have._

"No. I'm not angry with you."

"Is everything okay?"

"I'm preoccupied. I must get back to Emberfall soon."

"Oh, right. The monster." He was surprised to find her eyes filling with tears. "It's all my fault."

"My lady, this is not your burden."

"I could have done something right for once. But I messed it up." She took a shuddering breath, meeting his gaze. "Prince Rhen was a good friend, but I couldn't fall in love with him. I'm sorry."

"Don't blame yourself -"

"I didn't fall in love with Rhen because I fell in love with you."

The wind was whistling as they stood under the soft glow of the streetlamp. She hadn't broken eye contact; he knew she was waiting for his answer. That made two of them.

"I know you're going to hate me for that," Holly said. "I know I was supposed to fall in love with him. I know you're angry, and I know you never want to see me again. I'm sorry." She turned away. "I can make it from here. You go back. Rhen needs you."

He caught her arm. "Wait."

"Grey, you're wasting time. Just let me think the worst, okay?"

He didn't let go. He knew she was right, but he was selfish. "I don't hate you, my lady. I promise you."

"Grey..." She closed her eyes, her shoulders tense. "Can I give you a hug goodbye?"

He inhaled before nodding his head once.

He wasn't expecting her to be so gentle. Her arms encircled his waist, her head finding the hollow of his throat. He brought one arm around her back, his fingers brushing the ends of her hair. He breathed in, the ache in his chest growing.

"I'm sorry," Holly said again. "I'm so sorry."

"We cannot help who we love." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I only wish I could give you more than this."

She pulled away, cheeks red and eyes swollen. "I'm not going to see you again, am I?"

"I won't give you false hope. My loyalty is to Prince Rhen, and I will see that this curse breaks."

She nodded. "I understand."

"You will not ask me to stay?"

"That wouldn't be fair, would it?" She laughed a little, sniffling. "You're right. Rhen needs you. Emberfall needs you."

They walked the rest of the way, his hand in hers, silent. She stood at the front entrance, unwilling to let go of his hand.

"I'm going to miss you, Grey," she said, squeezing his fingers.

"And I will miss you, just Holly."

She rolled her eyes, "Don't make me smile."

"I like your smile." He wanted to say more, but suddenly Holly had her hand at the back of his neck, pulling his lips to hers. He had spent weeks holding back, unwilling to accept this as real. He heard her squeak when he kissed her back, his stomach swooping.

He broke away and pressed his forehead to hers, letting his eyes drift closed. "We will break the curse. I promise."

"Will you let me know when that happens?"

"I will try."

"That's all I ask." Her nose brushed his. "I want him to be happy. And I want you to be happy."

He wanted to tell her that she made him happy. Instead he said, "This is where I leave you." He gave her one last kiss before turning away. "Goodbye, Holly."

"Goodbye, Grey. I love you."

He didn't turn around as he disappeared. _I love you, too..._


	2. Part II - Holly

There was a torn piece of leather between the pages of the book. It was worn in places, the dark brown giving way to soft spots of beige and white, and smelled of hay and sandalwood. Holly didn't know how it had gotten there; she knew if she allowed herself to think about it, her heart would break even further.

"Who is he?" Everyone asked her that question: Marie, the police, her classmates, the therapist. There'd been security camera footage of the night she'd disappeared, being led away by a man with a sword strapped to his side. They had left no trace behind, no clue as to where they'd gone. She'd shown up six weeks later unannounced but unharmed - and alone.

She could answer the other things asked of her. "Did he hurt you?" No. "Did you go against your will?" No. "Do you know where he is now?" No. It was strange, how she could convey so much in one word, how she could tell the truth and conceal it at the same time. How she could never tell anyone about what had really happened.

"Who is he?" A constant loop, over and over. No matter that she was safe and possibly traumatized. As long as he was still out there, he could do it again. (He most definitely would, she knew.) Marie pushed her the most, sounding less like her older sister with each question. She was desperate - they all were - to know.

"Who is he?"

He was a commander, a trained guardsman good with a dagger. He was a young man with a sarcastic streak that hid a heart of gold. He was the best friend of a prince trapped under a curse, and he was bound to help break it.

His name was Grey, and he lived in Emberfall, a place no one else knew existed.

"Who is he?"

"I don't know."

* * *

 

She kept track the first two months, watching out her window at night. She knew deep down it was silly. Grey had told her he wouldn't come back, at least not until Prince Rhen was free of the curse. She didn't expect that to happen soon. Without fail, though, Holly would gaze out her bedroom window, the leather strap warm in her hands.

Around the time the snow began to melt and the weather became warmer was when she fell asleep without keeping watch. It was an accident, and she vowed it wouldn't happen again. And then, two weeks later, it did.

The nights she went straight to bed without so much as a glance out the window became more frequent, until it became the norm. Things had calmed down as much as they could, and she knew Marie would enjoy having her home for the summer. Little by little, life became quiet again, as it had been once. It was as if she'd never been gone in the first place.

"How many times have you read that book?" Marie asked her one morning.

Holly looked up from her reading. "I've lost track, honestly. Maybe five?"

"Don't you get tired of the same story, though?" She looked pointedly at the stack of library books on a nearby table. "Late fees don't pay themselves."

"I like predictability." Holly traced the edge of the page in front of her. "This one has a happy ending."

"As do those books from the library." Marie took a seat beside her sister, smiling. "If I know you, you read the last few pages of each one to ensure you wouldn't be disappointed at the end. Am I right?"

Holly rolled her eyes, trying not to return her sister's grin. "Okay, book police."

Marie wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I didn't say it was a bad thing."

"I know." Holly sighed. "I think I might go for a bike ride. Do you need anything?"

"How about you grab some Twizzlers from the gas station?" Marie got up and dug out a few dollars from her purse. "On me."

"I've got my own money -"

"It's not a big deal, Holly." 

She took the money, slowly stuffing it into her back pocket as if Marie might change her mind. "Thanks."

"Of course."

Holly strode forward, giving her sister a hug. "Seriously. Thank you. For everything."

* * *

There were nights, right after she'd come home, that she'd dream about being back in Emberfall. She'd be in the garden, reading, surrounded by bright red roses. Sometimes Rhen would be there, his disarming smile still making her blush. More often than not, though, she would dream of Grey. They'd walk the grounds of Ironrose, or she'd read to him, or they'd sit by the fire in comfortable silence. Her favorite dream was the one that ended with them falling asleep together; she'd wake up and swear she'd been able to hear his heartbeat. 

Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder if she'd been right to tell him how she felt, if perhaps things would have been easier if she'd just buried her feelings and never said anything at all. Would it hurt less, missing him? 

 _Did_ she miss him?

Holly wouldn't allow herself to accept that she did. She was one of over 300 women who had failed to help Prince Rhen; Grey had probably forgotten her already. Life couldn't be like her books, easy and linear - no matter how many times she secretly wished it could be.

Which is why, as Holly pushed her bike to the front door of her apartment building, that she screamed when she looked through the windows.

Her bike tipped over, one of the handles bumping her leg, but she didn't register the pain. Her heart was beating wildly as she made herself take one step, two, until she was in front of the door. She could feel her hands shaking as she tried to calm her breathing.

She'd be lying if she said she hadn't imagined something like this. Even as a little girl, she liked the idea of a knight in shining armor appearing at her doorstep, ready to take her away to a better life, one filled with adventure and romance. There was a small part of her that had resurrected that fantasy after she'd returned, and even with logic dictating that things like that didn't happen, it refused to be quiet. That small part had kept her from throwing away the worn leather strip, because maybe someday, she wouldn't regret being hopeful.

"Grey?" 

The man on the other side of the door looked much the same as he had when they'd first met. His sword was still at his side and he still donned his guard uniform, his dark hair slightly ruffled by the wind, his mouth set in a grim line. The only thing different were his eyes; they were weary, older somehow. They were trained on her, all the same, soft and, dare she think it, affectionate. 

She pushed the door open and dove forward, her arms around his middle and her face against his chest plate, the fabric of his tunic a little rough between her fingers. He was real, and he was here. _He was here._

Holly felt his cheek press into her hair, his own arms drawing her closer. She was now fully aware that she was sobbing, clinging to him, but she didn't care. She pulled away slightly, looking up at him through her tears.

"Why...why did you come back?"

His brow furrowed as he spoke. "I recall giving you my word that I would return, on the condition that the curse was broken."

Rhen. The curse. "He's okay? He found someone?"

He nodded. "Her name is Harper. Princess Harper of Disi." 

Harper. One of over 300 women, and she'd been able to do what Holly could not. "When - how - I'm sorry, I have so many questions." She swiped at her eyes with her arm. 

"It's quite a long story, one I would be glad to tell. If you wish." 

"Of course, I just - why are you here?"

He was quiet for a moment, taking her hand and bringing it to his chest. "My duty is always to serve Rhen, to ensure his well being. But all these months, I have often thought of you." When he looked at her again, her breath caught in her throat. "I have missed you, my lady."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. "I missed you too, but you didn't...you have a life. And I have a life, and..." She took a deep breath. "You didn't have to come back for me."

"It was a choice I made willingly." He ran a hand gently over her hair, goosebumps erupting along her skin. "I fell in love with you, and I love you still, if you'll have me. If your affections have changed, I understand."

She shook her head. "They haven't. I...I meant what I told you before. I love you too, Grey." She trailed a finger along his jaw. "I haven't stopped."

Grey leaned closer, pressing his lips to hers. She'd guarded the memory of their first - and only - kiss close, only conjuring it when she was alone with a book. It was so easy to compare the kisses in books to the one she and Grey had shared, and it was her way of keeping it alive. His lips were still soft, as was his hair, and she squeaked a bit when he pulled her against him. 

She knew it wouldn't be this easy for long. Marie would have to know about everything, now that she had actual proof, and even then, Holly doubted her sister would be okay with everything. And how would they even make this work? Would she live in Emberfall? Would he stay here with her? Would they dimension hop? There was still so much to iron out, so much he needed to tell her. So much she still needed to know.

But for the moment, Holly allowed herself to melt against Grey, her face buried against his neck. He had remembered to come back. He had chosen to be with her. 

She'd had wavering faith in Grey all these months; it was time she had unwavering faith that happy endings really did exist. 

 


End file.
